Red Ribbon
by fantasyanimegirl283
Summary: Kaien told Rukia, "Your heart will be passed on to your friends." She understood what he meant... but what if that heart was chocolate? IchiRuki. (Happy Valentine's Day and White Day!)
1. Red Ribbon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.**

* * *

Red Ribbon

* * *

_"Your heart will be passed on to your friends. __If you pass it on to your friends, then your heart will always live on within them."_

_- Kaien Shiba_

* * *

It was at the end of a long, regular school day when multiple cards in the colours of red, white, and pink, in the shape of hearts, poured out of Ichigo's locker. All of his friends gawked at the sight.

_It was that day, huh?_

Ichigo looked down at the pile that fell by his feet, cocking an orange eyebrow.

"Is this all for me?"

_Valentine's Day. Right._

Orihime giggled at him, as if teasing, "Wow, Kurosaki-kun has admirers!"

"What the hell are those...?" Rukia mused, "Birthday cards?"

"My birthday's in July, stupid." Ichigo looked at Rukia from the corner of his eyes, sweatdropped, and mumbled, "You seriously don't know what these are?" She shook her dark-haired head, making him sigh. "Well, nevermind. So where am I supposed to put all of these?"

"More importantly, who are they from, and what are you going to do to thank them on White Day?" Tatsuki stepped in.

Ichigo groaned, scratching the back of his head. "I really gotta do that?"

Tatsuki stuck her fist up. "Meh, I guess so. Almost every girl expects one back... Although, I never give any valentines, so I don't expect anything!"

Orihime commented, "But, Tatsuki-chan, remember when one boy gave you a White Day present before?"

Most of the group silently gasped in shock, but the karate girl threw her head back and gave a loud laugh, crossing her arms.

"Ha! I remember, but that was a while back." She smirked, "Yeah, only an _idiot_ would think they can win me over with sappy words, a card, and some candy."

Rukia and Orihime nodded, impressed. Meanwhile, all the boys backed up nervously, clenching their teeth. Chad muttered, "I pity the idiot."

"Yeah..." They all agreed.

"Was that idiot Keigo?" Mizuiro joked.

"Yeah... wait- was not!" Keigo protested.

"Eh," Orihime spoke out. Everyone turned to face her. She was scratching her chin and smiling weakly. "I- uh, I actually have valentines for all of you..."

"Hm?" Everyone replied.

She raised her hands, waving them frantically. Her face glowed a bright pink and she tucked some locks of auburn hair behind her ear. "D-don't worry! I won't expect anything on White Day! I'm giving these because I want to."

"Ah, thanks!"

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeak echoed in the halls, "I'd love to receive a card from my precious Orihime-chan!"

Chizuru sprinted from the end of the hall to the other, quickly wrapping her arms around Orihime, her hands wandering where they shouldn't.

"And to show my thanks, how about a romantic Valentine's date, just you and me-"

Before anyone could speak, Tatsuki already kicked Chizuru away from Orihime, hollering, "Geez, knock it off! I know Orihime's vulnerable on White Day, but Valentine's, too? Hell!"

She huffed, rolling her sleeves up. Ichigo and the rest of the gang sweatdropped.

"Stay with me, Orihime, before anyone else tries to take advantage of you."

Keigo shuddered, whispering, "So much for asking Inoue out next month."

Uryuu adjusted his glasses, smirking, "As if you had a chance."

Mizuiro snickered behind his phone.

"Oh, shut up, four eyes!"

"Anyway, here!" Orihime went on, straightening her uniform shirt.

She began to pass out the Valentine's cards, each made differently for everyone.

Tatsuki received hers first - a small package wrapped in clear wrapping paper, tied with curled, pale pink string and a bow. Inside were colourful, homemade chocolate cookies, covered in red bean paste instead of icing, and edamame beans for gumdrops.

"Thanks a lot, Orihime." Tatsuki smiled weakly, while the whole group resisted the urge to cringe.

Next was Chad, who got a card decorated with animal stickers, like a Dalmatian, a black cat (which resembled Yoruichi), and a blue songbird.

"Thanks," he said in a low voice, but everyone knew he was really happy with it.

Mizuiro got his card with a small phone charm attached. After reading the card quickly, he took the charm and put it on his phone.

He beamed, "Heh! Thank you, I didn't expect to get one..."

Ichigo got his after. Orihime made a simple, but sweet card, made out of orange paper and strawberry flavoured candies glued on.

"Th-thanks, Inoue," he said, smiling slightly, "I like the- uh, strawberry stuff."

"You can eat it," Orihime noted, raising her index finger. "I glued it using a homemade, edible glue -"

He hesitated. "Really? Okay... I guess I'll try it." He said before she could finish. He completely forgot about Orihime's odd ingredient choice, as he took one of the candies off the card and popped it in his mouth.

"- out of wasabi and ginger!" Orihime continued, thumping a fist on her chest confidently.

The gang's jaws dropped, quickly looking at Ichigo to see his reaction, with wide eyes. He nearly choked on the candy as the flavours started kicking in, attacking his taste buds.

He coughed slightly, and forcing himself not to spit out the candy, said through clenched teeth, "H-hey! Look over there! Is that a flying hippo handing out balloon animals?" He pointed dramatically the other way.

Orihime gasped in surprise and excitement, "Ha? Where?!"

She quickly turned where Ichigo was pointing, with her back facing him. Ichigo took those few seconds with her back facing him to spit out the candy. It shot out his mouth like a bullet, flying in the air for a few seconds before hitting Keigo straight in the forehead.

"Ow! Oi, Ichigo-!"

"Shut up, if you want to live." Ichigo hissed, sending him a murderous look.

Orihime faced them in disappointment, frowning. "Kurosaki-kun, I don't see anything."

"Eheh!" Ichigo said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Guess my eyes are playing tricks on me."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Fool."

"Oh, and Kuchiki-san, here is yours." Orihime beamed, passing her a violet card decorated with white ribbon that was tightly curled.

Rukia carefully took it, holding it in her hands as if the card was as fragile as glass.

"It's very pretty, Inoue- eh?" As Rukia opened the card, she found a picture Orihime drew.

Everyone peered over Rukia's shoulder - which wasn't so hard because of her size - wondering what the heck was on her card. Rukia made it out to be a cross of a futuristic fighting machine and Chappy the rabbit (her favourite!) that breathed out fire and held carrots that shot out lasers.

The friends' eyebrows twitched in confusion, their jaws dropped.

"Oh..." Rukia exhaled slowly, her face flushing, then burst out, "Thank you so much, Inoue! It's like nothing I've ever seen. I love it!"

_You've never seen anything like Orihime, alright._

"And here's one for Ishida-kun!"

Uryuu nervously got it, while blushing a light pink and awkwardly adjusting his glasses. "Uh- thank you, Inoue-san."

It was a nice Valentine's card, like all the others, but his had something in a small pouch.

Orihime smiled weakly, "I tried my best, but I just can't sew as good as you, Ishida-kun!"

Uryuu felt his face heat up even more when he saw what was inside: a patch in the shape of a heart with a bow and arrow in the centre. Although, he wondered if the arrow was supposed to be crooked and bent like that on purpose...

"You can sew it on your backpack, if you want," added Orihime with a sweet smile.

Uryuu simply nodded, hoping he wouldn't blurt out something embarrassing.

Finally, Orihime said, "Asano-"

"Yes, thank you, Inoue!" Keigo cried, accepting her card happily.

He contained his tears of joy as he held the piece of paper to his heart. What did the sweet Orihime Inoue prepare for him? A beautiful drawing of their future children? Or-

"I deserve that card more than this idiot!" Chizuru suddenly appeared again, grabbing the card and running off with is.

"Hey, I thought I knocked her out..." Tatsuki muttered under her breath.

Keigo was in such a daze that it took him a few seconds for his rather small brain to register what just happened. He did a double take, realizing his hands were empty and his card was gone.

"O-Oi! You get back here!"

* * *

Finally, after Ichigo stuffed the valentines he got into his bag with the help of his friends, they all headed home together, then parted ways where the different streets lead to their house. They all turned the corner, waving.

"See ya."

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Yeah, bye!"

It wasn't too long until it was just Ichigo and Rukia heading home. There was a silence hanging in the air, but it was a comfortable silence, as they enjoyed each other's company.

"So," Rukia began casually, staring down at the picture Orihime drew for her, "what is this Valentine's Day all about anyway?"

"Wait..." Ichigo suddenly stopped, and pointed at her. "Y'mean you still didn't know after all this time?!" he hollered, "You're such an idiot!"

"Wah- am not!" Rukia gawked at him. "I'm just not use to these celebrations in the world of the living. We don't do that sort of thing in Soul Society."

"What do you celebrate?"

"Birthdays -"

"Yeah, I know that one."

"- the holidays, New Year's..." she listed, "and I think we celebrated White Day a few times, but never Valentine's."

Ichigo frowned. "Well, Valentine's is when people, usually girls, give chocolate, cards or presents to someone they admire. Then White Day, it's the same, but for boys."

"Ah, I see." Rukia murmured.

"Yeah, Yuzu cooks the family a special dinner on Valentine's, so let's head home already." He stated.

The petite shinigami put her hands on her hips. "You were the one that stopped first, so don't talk."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, poking her forehead. "Whatever."

She swatted his hand away, but grabbed it right after, her hand so small compared to his. She stared at it for a bit.

"You head home without me." She said, still focused on his hand, their fingers laced together.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" He pulled his hand away. "Where are you going?"

"I- I think I left something back at school. I'll be back by dinner." Rukia said, meeting eyes with him.

Ichigo scoffed, "Yeah, right, I can tell when you're lying, Rukia."

"Can you just go on ahead without me? I have to do something," she replied, her patience growing thin.

"Why the hell are you leaving all of a sudden?" Ichigo questioned, leaning forward. "You embarrassed about not knowing what Valentine's Day is?"

"It's not that. And why are you so concerned?" Rukia countered with a smug look on her face.

Ichigo felt his face heat up slightly when he realized how close their faces were. He pressed his lips into a thin line, then took a step back.

He exhaled, "Who said I was concerned? Fine, go on ahead. I was just wondering."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and spun around to head home, but before he took another step, he added, "You'll be back by dinner."

Rukia sighed, "Yes, yes, now go home!"

Ichigo looked back to argue once more, but she was already gone. He paused, scanning the area, then shrugged, before he started walking home.

* * *

Rukia wasn't back by dinner.

"Rukia..." he gritted his teeth in anger. Ichigo silently ate his food, wishing in the back of his mind that he wasn't worried so he could enjoy the nice meal Yuzu prepared.

"Ichi-nii, where's Rukia-chan?" Karin asked, stuffing a heart-shaped riceball with pickled plum in her mouth.

Yuzu nodded. "Did she say she was going somewhere?"

"Well... yeah, but she said she'd be back right about now." Ichigo grumbled.

"I'm a little disappointed, son," Isshin said calmly, but then burst out. "How dare you let my pretty third daughter go out alone on Valentine's Day!"

"It's not like I told her to, old man! She said she had to!"

Isshin sighed, scratching his chin. "Perhaps she's on a date..."

Ichigo almost choked on his food, squeezing (and now destroying) the riceball in his hands. "You can't be serious!"

Yuzu agreed, "Onii-chan is right! That can't be true!"

"Yeah, don't say that," Karin commented bluntly.

Isshin sighed again, "Why are all of my children teaming up against me?" He stood up and dashed to the wall where a big poster of his wife was hanging. "Oh Masaki, what'll I do?! I'm so lonely on Valentine's Day..."

Karin yelled, embarrassed, "Cut it out, ya goat face! Sit back down!"

In the middle of all the chaos, Ichigo simply stood and quietly went to his room, where Kon was waiting. As Ichigo opened the door, the stuff toy ran and jumped, crying out, "Nee-san!"

Ichigo groaned in annoyance, sending his foot to the plushie's face.

"Oi, where's Nee-san?!"

"She's..." he paused, sticking out his lip, "She's out."

"You're a real dumbass, Ichigo - losing an opportunity like _this_! I can't believe you let Nee-san go like that!" Kon hollered, pointing a stuffed paw at him. "It's Valentine's Day and she's not even here to spend it with me..."

Ichigo scowled, sitting down on his bed. He didn't want to say it to Kon, but the stupid toy was sort of right. He regretted letting her go. Now he has to be alone on Valentine's Day... or worse: with Kon.

"I can't believe it's Valentine's Day and I'm here with you." Kon huffed.

Ichigo sighed loudly, "Oh, shut up! Don't you think I feel the same way?"

He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, kicking his bag that was by his bed. The cards he received spilled out. Ichigo didn't even want to read them.

"What's with the sad face?" a familiar voice said from behind.

"It's not a sad fa-" Ichigo began, turning around, to find himself inches away from large, violet eyes. He fell back, yelping in shock. "R-Rukia?!"

His heart started beating fast when he saw her. Maybe he was just startled...?

She sat on his window sill for a few more seconds before lifting her feet up and landing on Ichigo's bed beside him. She stuck out her tongue and gave him a thumbs up. "Hey. Lucky your window was open or else I wouldn't have gotten in."

Kon stood up, feeling tears form at his beady eyes. He inhaled then let out a loud, "Nee-san!" He threw his arms out, shouting, "Nee-san, it was horrible! I was stuck alone with a gloomy Ichigo and-"

Ichigo's foot met the stuffed lion again, sending him to the hardwood floor.

"So just where the hell were you?" demanded Ichigo, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Y-You missed dinner." He added quickly.

Rukia began nervously, "Uh, I just went for a little walk."

_With someone?_

Ichigo felt his stomach ache a little. He had to be honest with himself - he was damn worried. He was about to say something to her, but Rukia handed him something that was hidden behind her back. It was in a thin box, tied with a red ribbon and bow.

"H-here," she mumbled, her face a little pink. She avoided his eyes. "You said Valentine's is when you show affection, or you give presents to someone you admire."

Ichigo's eyebrows lifted in surprise, hesitating before he took it. He honestly didn't know what to say anymore. He was just relieved that she was here, not with someone else. She was with him, blushing, and giving him chocolate. He was happy, even. The ache in his stomach instantly vanished.

_So that's why she left._

Rukia went on, "I... felt bad that I had nothing to give, while Orihime had all those presents. Since you finally told me the meaning of Valentine's Day, I thought maybe I should participate in this celebration... I'm not too late, am I?"

"N-no, you're not." Ichigo managed to say, looking down, playing with the scarlet ribbon between his fingers. The ribbon was tightly around the box, holding it together.

Ichigo couldn't help but think she purposely picked that certain colour, that type of string, to decorate the present. Like the red Spirit Ribbon of a soul reaper, the ribbon that held them together.

A bond that could never be broken.

Ichigo opened the box, counting the chocolates he received in his head. There were a few dark chocolate ones and some white chocolates. He licked his lips.

Rukia spoke out again, "I had the clerk who worked there help me pick out just the right chocolates. Turns out there were certain kinds. Valentine's Day is quite confusing, but I think I did alright."

"Yeah..." he breathed, smiling slightly, "thanks, Rukia."

Rukia smiled back warmly, "I even got you a card. I made it myself." She suddenly smirked when she passed to him.

"Ah- okay," Ichigo replied, taking it. His hands were full now with Rukia's valentines. He opened the card, narrowing his eyes. "What the hell is '_Chappy B-Val-b-en-b-tine's B-day'_?"

"Ichigo, you got some cards on the floor, too, y'know," Kon pointed out, picking them up after they fell from his bag.

Ichigo ignored him, focusing on Rukia's card. "Wait, I think I know what to do."

Kon called out, "Are you even listening?" He continued to dig through Ichigo's bag.

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo answered, obviously not listening. He quickly took out a marker and scratched out all the B's.

"Chappy Valentine's Day," he read a loud. He deadpanned, "Very clever."

Rukia gave him a thumbs up. "Nice, isn't it?"

"There's still Chappy in it."

"Exactly!"

"As nice as it is being from you," he began, "your drawings still suck."

He took a chocolate and tossed it in his mouth. It was really sweet, melting in his mouth. Suddenly, it hit him. The heart shape and the rich taste of the chocolate... This wasn't ordinary, obligation Valentine's chocolates. Those were the ones Orihime gave to all her friends.

This was _honmei_ chocolate. Meaning, "true feelings" chocolate.

_Maybe Rukia didn't know _that_ much about Valentine's Day yet?_

Ichigo felt the blood rush to his face, as he swallowed the last of the chocolate he ate.

"You know what these kind of chocolates are, right?" he started awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

She paused to think. "Yes, why? I even asked for assistance from the clerk. Didn't I already tell you?"

"Oh. Just wondering."

There was a long silence as the two thought to themselves. Ichigo's gaze was on the box he held, filled with the different treats and candies. Rukia simply looked down at her feet.

"Rukia?" Ichigo spoke out.

"Hm," she replied quietly, tilting her chin up to face him. Her purple eyes widened in surprise when she noticed his gaze was now on her. She said gently, "Ichigo?"

"Thanks again."

Rukia smiled, her lips pressed into a thin line. It was like those movie moments, when the pair would silently face each other, violet orbs meeting brown ones, trying to figure out how they were feeling. They both leaned in closer, until Rukia could smell the chocolate coming from Ichigo's lips.

"I-"

"_Rukia-chan!_" Three voices called out, barging into the door. The two immediately yelped and stepped away, their faces a flushed pink.

"Rukia-chan, you missed dinner! Come eat now before it gets cold!" Yuzu said.

"Where were you?" Isshin added, "Were you on a romantic date? I hope not! Tell me all about it!"

Karin finally said in her usual bored tone, "Just leave the two alone. Can't you see Rukia-chan and Ichi-nii were having a moment? And how did she get in the house...?"

Rukia choked out, her cheeks still warm and glowing red, "Eh, dinner sounds nice, thanks."

They all smiled, "Good!"

Ichigo grumbled, running a hand through his orange hair, "My family's insane sometimes."

Rukia laughed softly, watching the three head back to the dinner table. Rukia and Ichigo followed behind, exchanging quick glances. He couldn't be happier, knowing she was spending Valentine's with him. So he wasn't spending it alone...

Ichigo still had the red ribbon twirling around his finger. He wore a small smile on his face as he glanced at Rukia again from the corner of his chocolate brown eyes. She gave the ribbon a swift tug, bringing Ichigo closer to her petite frame so her shoulder met his side, and only they could hear.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ichigo."

"Yeah. Happy Valentine's, Rukia."

_Now what to do for White Day...?_

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**A/N: Kya! Happy Valentine's Day! I know a lot of people do this on Valentine's, but I wanted to give it a shot! This was also requested by Shedix :) Thank you very much for your support! I hope you liked it.**

**Well, I just wrote this yesterday, so I hope it turned out okay. Should I write a White Day one? Let me know how I did with a review. My birthday was also about a week ago... Maybe as a small birthday present, too? Eheh, thank you for reading ^_^**


	2. White Silk

White Silk

* * *

"Dance," Rukia began, twirling her white zanpakuto, "Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia pulled her sword back, bending her knees.

"Some no Mai... Tsukishiro!"

The petite soul reaper lunged towards her opponent, swinging her blade down, which caused a pool of light to form in the ground where it was standing. Suddenly, a burst of energy came from the circle in the ground, and a tall pillar of ice formed, closing in on her enemy. Once the ice shattered, the monster shrieked before it faded away.

Rukia landed softy, whipping her zanpakuto to the side, letting the blood drip off the blade, before putting it back into its sheathe.

"Nicely done. That was a little over-kill for a simple Hollow, wasn't it?" Ichigo teased.

They were both dressed in black robes, carrying swords. It was just a regular day for the two. They were out again, protecting Karakura town and fighting Hollows.

"As if your Getsuga Tensho isn't," she countered, pushing his shoulder.

"H-hey! You're bleeding." Ichigo stated, sighing, looking at the red stain her hand left on his robes. "Stupid."

Rukia gasped a bit, "Oh. Sorry." She looked down, noticing a cut on her palm that oozed blood.

"Want some bandages or something?" he asked, crouching down so he was at her height.

"Must've been from the Hollow, but this is nothing." She told him, while healing it with her Kidō.

"No, shit." Ichigo scoffed.

Rukia pushed him again even harder with the same hand, but it was already healed.

"Oi!" Ichigo hollered, getting a snort from Rukia.

Yeah, it was just a regular day for them.

But even the smallest things about it made Ichigo enjoy it so much. Their teamwork when fighting, or just watching her handle the situation, little gestures, smirks, even glances he'd get from her, altogether made missing class worth it. He could easily catch up with his studies, anyway.

"You two clean up fast." Uryuu called out, running towards them.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime exclaimed, following the Quincy, "Kuchiki-san!"

Chad also followed closely behind, waving. "Hey."

"How much time is there before school's over?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia flipped open her phone and answered, "We've got an hour and a half left."

"That thing can tell time?" Ichigo muttered.

"I still have work to do and assignments to hand in. Let's head back." Uryuu said, sighing.

"Nerd." Ichigo mumbled, smirking.

"Can you quit muttering stupid remarks?" Uryuu snapped, fuming. "No one finds you funny!"

"I wasn't trying to be funny, dumbass!"

"So I'm a nerd, now I'm a dumbass, Kurosaki?" Uryuu shot back, crossing his arms.

"O-kay, stop bickering or you two will get left behind!" Orihime told her friends, laughing, grabbing Uryuu's collar from behind and dragging him away.

"Ugh!" he choked out, "Inoue-san, you're grip is too tight! I can't breathe!"

Ichigo sweatdropped, looking at the two run off with Chad leading.

Rukia added, "Ichigo, you let your guard down!"

"GAH!" Ichigo exclaimed, feeling a shoe hit the back of his head. "Rukia?!"

She simply rolled her eyes, as she landed on her feet and took his arm. "Oh, come on, you'll be late!"

They finally caught up with their friends, exchanging glances before sprinting back to school in time for last period.

"Hell, why are these girls so violent?" Ichigo said quietly to himself, scratching the back of his head and massaging the small bump that was forming.

"Oi, you muttering to yourself again? Ishida was right." Rukia smirked at him.

"Shut up!"

Little gestures, smirks, even glances he'd get from her... altogether really made missing class worth it.

* * *

"So what did you get her for White Day?"

"I bought her a necklace. I saw her staring at it every time we went out shopping."

"Did she give you a Valentine?"

"Yeah, so I made sure to make the gift extra special."

"Damn, I want a girlfriend..."

Ichigo listened in on one of the conversations as he watched the last of the boys walk out of the classroom. On the other hand, he had to stay after school to catch up on a missed lesson.

Chad and Orihime were smart enough already and quickly jotted down notes and understood it with little information. He had no idea where Uryuu was, and Rukia just didn't give a damn about her grades in the world of the living.

_"See ya at home, Ichigo!" She gave him a smug look before running out the door._

Ichigo pulled at his orange hair in frustration as he tried to solve the questions with the notes he received from his sensei. The answer finally popped into his head and he grabbed his pencil to write it down, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice from behind.

"I-chiiiiii-gooooo... Oi, Ichigoooo!"

He swore he was alone.

_Whatever._

He tried to ignore it while scribbling down his answer.

"Carrot top!"

That made him lose his train of thought.

"What is it, Keigo?!" Ichigo demanded through clenched teeth, turning around in his seat and glaring. "Can't you see I'm working?"

Keigo smiled weakly, putting his hands up as if to surrender. "Easy, easy! I'm just bored."

"Detention?" Ichigo asked.

His friend sighed, "Yep."

"I didn't even notice you behind me."

"That's cruel, Ichigo!"

"So... what's up?" The carrot top muttered, turning back in his seat and going back to his work.

Keigo sighed again, "Meh, I wanted to spend White Day with Inoue... but I got detention."

"What did you do?" replied Ichigo.

"Tried to skip class today. I saw you and Kuchiki leaving so I tried to join." Keigo chortled.

"Idiot."

"But anyway!" Keigo exclaimed, "You're a close friend of Inoue, so could you, y'know, give me some advice on how I should ask her out on White Day? Or maybe a gift?"

"Inoue already has a lot of admirers but she has Tatsuki with her. And the ones that had the guts to ask her out were turned down. She did it nicely, but she still turned them down." Ichigo answered, "In my opinion, Inoue's out of your league. You could give her a gift or something, but unless you want to get your ass kicked, I suggest you don't ask her out."

"So a gift!"

"I don't know, Keigo. Maybe you should be asking Ishida this rather than me." Ichigo shrugged, then continued to work on his assignment.

"But don't you know what you're getting Kuchiki-san?"

Ichigo paused. He never told Keigo about Rukia's valentines. How did he know?

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"Wouldn't she be expecting something? You two are pretty close, too." Keigo replied.

"I- I guess so." Ichigo awkwardly scratched his chin, thinking.

Keigo threw his arms up, and sighed, "Man, don't tell me you didn't get her anything! You and Kuchiki are always leaving class to go off somewhere! You guys are always together!"

"Ugh," Ichigo gritted his teeth, turning his head to face Keigo, "would you shut up?"

He hated it when he was wrong, and idiots like Keigo were right. Even though he didn't know of the valentines...

Ichigo really felt like he owed Rukia a White Day present. Orihime already said she didn't expect anything in return, but Rukia never said anything about what she wanted.

"I'm not surprised Kurosaki wouldn't be prepared for White Day." Uryuu spoke up, stepping into the classroom. "I actually got Inoue-san something, and she loved it.

"When the hell did you come in?" Ichigo hissed.

"I was just passing by and heard your voices." Uryuu answered then peered down at Ichigo's worksheet. He pointed at a question, saying, "Twenty three and a half degrees."

Ichigo's eyes lit up and he tilted his head as he checked the paper. "Th-thanks."

"Anyway Ishida, why are _you_ still at school?" Keigo questioned.

He adjusted his glasses, mumbling, "The Sewing Club had a meeting today."

Ichigo and Keigo stifled a snicker, placing their hands over their mouths to hide their grins.

"Shut up!" Uryuu fumed. He sighed, "Kurosaki, you honestly don't know what to get Kuchiki-san?"

"I never really thought about it." Ichigo replied, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. He exhaled, looking at the window.

What was he supposed to get her? He began to list the things a guy would give to his girlfr- no, his special someone - dammit, his short friend that might be expecting a gift on White Day 'cause she just _had_ to give him a valentine.

_Chocolate? No, doesn't seem as special for a White Day gift._

_Chappy?_ Ichigo thought for a moment. _As much as she loves it, it seems too... easy. She's got enough of them already and I hate those things anyway._

_Jewelry? Too expensive._

_Lingerie? No. Just. No._ Ichigo almost fell out of his seat, swatting away the dirty thought that was about to form in his head. Besides, he'd get a slap in the face, a punch to the jaw, and a kick between the legs if he gave her something like that.

_Clothes? ... Damn. I'm desperate._

"Oi," Ichigo said quietly, "Ishida."

"Hm?" Uryuu said, turning to face him.

"D'ya think Rukia might like a shirt, or something?"

Uryuu gawked at him. "You were thinking all this time and all you could come up with was a shirt?"

"Talk about thoughtful." Keigo added sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up!" Ichigo said, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. He was never good with girly things.

"A dress would be nice. Heck, I could even make one." Uryuu commented, giving a cocky smile.

Ichigo groaned, "No way, I'm not giving her a dress. It doesn't really... match her."

"Match her?"

"I don't know, I can't really imagine her in a dress."

Keigo raised an eyebrow. "She always wears dresses."

"Nah, I don't really pay attention to those." Ichigo shrugged.

He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips into a thin line. Whenever he imagined Rukia, he thought of her true form as a soul reaper, not in her gigai wearing girly dresses and skirts. He always imagined her dressed in her standard shihakushō, and on rare occasions, in white robes.

He wasn't sure if it was the robes she wore in Soul Society during her execution, or if they were something he just came up with.

But it didn't matter which robe it was - it was the colour. White was a perfect colour to describe Rukia, even though she might disagree. First of all, her zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki was a beautiful, white sword, with the power of ice.

Other than the physical traits, Rukia was also very clean and pure in heart (even if she could sometimes get violent with Ichigo). She was bright, gentle (again, _sometimes_), and elegant, too. So something white, maybe?

"Well, you're gonna have to think fast, Ichigo." Keigo stated, shaking his head, "Time's running out and White Day's almost over."

"Like you're one to talk," he retorted, crossing his arms, "you don't have a present for Inoue."

Suddenly, the teacher walked in with her hands on her hips. She said loudly, "Asano, Kurosaki, Ishida. If you're going to socialize, just go home already. Asano, detention's over and if you get detention again I'll make sure you're alone this time. Kurosaki, I won't let you stay after school to catch up if you're wasting your time. And Ishida... don't bother them. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." The boys answered in unison.

"Good. Now go home!"

* * *

Keigo and Uryuu wished Ichigo good luck as they made their way home, walking down a different street. Ichigo decided to wander around a market, trying to find something he could get for Rukia. Luckily they were still selling White Day gifts.

_What did she get for me again on Valentine's Day? Just chocolates. Honmei, to be exact..._

Ichigo felt the blood rush to his face, turning them a beet red.

_Nevemind!_

But what really caught his eye was the red ribbon. Why did he like it so much? That night he found the ribbon wrapped around his finger. He played around with it, admiring the way it would gracefully dance when he moved his hands. The shade of red wasn't too bright like a fluorescent, neon sign, nor dull or too dark like the colour of blood. For some reason Ichigo really liked it.

It kept reminding him how he had such a strong connection with Rukia.

Then that's when he had an idea.

Ichigo felt a boyish grin grow on his lips, as he quickly made his way to a nearby a store to get what he believed to be a great White Day present for Rukia.

* * *

"I'm home." Ichigo said quietly as he opened the door and ducked, dodging his father's greeting kick.

"You're late, son!" Isshin said, bouncing back up as if nothing happened, "But good job. Your reflexes are getting better!"

"Welcome home, Ichi-nii. Took you a while. Poor Rukia-chan." Karin teased him while he calmly made his way into the house, holding a yellow gift bag stuffed with purple tissue paper. "But then again, Rukia-chan came home late on Valentine's, so now you're even."

"Onii-chan, are you hungry? Sorry, we all ate already, but there's still plenty of food left! I'll just heat it up." Yuzu added.

Ichigo smiled a bit at his younger sisters, "Nah, I'll eat in a bit. Thanks."

He made his way to his room and found Rukia sitting in his desk, reading a manga with Kon snoozing on the bed. She was still in her school uniform.

"Ah, so you're finally home, Ichigo." Rukia said, eyes still on the pages of her manga book. "I almost believed you were with someone."

"Heh, this sounds familiar." Ichigo replied, smirking.

"Very." She simply said, continuing to read.

"Anyway, I -" Ichigo began, but stopped himself.

_"I got you something for White Day. Hope you like it." Nah, too boring._

He went on, hiding the gift bag behind his back, "I was wondering if Soul Society was celebrating White Day."

"Yeah, they probably are." She answered.

Ichigo asked, "Were you thinking of joining them?"

Rukia paused, flipping a page, before replying, "I was, but I didn't want you to be left behind, and I also didn't want to have to bring you all the way to Soul Society and back. Too much work."

Ichigo chortled, "Lazy ass."

"Quiet..."

"I kinda feel bad that you had to stay because of me, though."

"Aw, thank you," Rukia teased him, making him red in the face. She thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't mind spending White Day with you. At least this is a holiday I am familiar with."

Ichigo felt his palms get sweaty. "So you know what happens on White Day, right?"

"Yes, and you explained it to me, too." Rukia replied, "Boys give presents to girls. I got a few chocolates, actually, but not -"

She gasped slightly, when she finally looked up and saw Ichigo holding out a gift bag towards her.

"From you?" she asked softly.

"No, it's from Keigo." Ichigo said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. "Of course it's from me, idiot."

Her violet eyes grew wide with surprise. It caused Ichigo to burst out, "Hey, don't act so shocked! I can be caring, too, y'know."

"Okay, okay." Rukia smiled slightly, "Well, thank you, Ichigo."

"Happy White Day." Ichigo's eyes lit up when he remembered something. "Oh. Here."

He passed her fluffy, pink marshmallows skewered by a thin Pocky stick. It was tightly held in clear wrapping.

She thanked him again then accepted the present, placing the gift bag on her lap and removing the purple tissue paper. She reached into the bag, and felt a cool, smooth, fabric against her fingertips. She pulled it out to find a white scarf that had the look and feel of silk.

"Do you like it?" Ichigo asked gently.

"Yes," she replied, "I do. Very much. Is this real silk?"

His face flushed, and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, stuff like that doesn't come cheap. It's some other material." He quickly added, "But I'm not saying I'd get you cheap things! It's still really good quality and actually cost a lot... I'm not like Byakuya who'll spoil you, but I'll make sure your gift -"

"I still like it." Rukia told him, making him shut his mouth.

"Oh. That's... a relief," he replied, exhaling and feeling happiness wash over him because of his accomplishment.

"In fact," Rukia began, gazing at the accessory with wide, violet eyes, "this sort of looks like Nii-sama's scarf!"

Ichigo sweatdropped. _She's supposed to think of me, not Byakuya!_

"But," she said, looking at it one more time, "that's not the reason I like it."

Rukia threw the scarf around her, but it was a little long, with one side hanging by her waist. She started to unwrap the marshmallows, licking her lips before taking a bite. Before Ichigo could even think, he found his arm moving towards her, taking the end of the scarf, and pressing it against his bottom lip.

Rukia swallowed and her pale face turned a faint pink, and she buried her chin deeper into the scarf. Even though he just bought it for her, it already managed to smell like him. Rukia's cheeks burned even more. For once, Ichigo's family wasn't there to interrupt them.

"Th-thank you for the White Day present, Ichigo," she managed to say.

Ichigo tried not to stare, but he was amazed that she looked exactly like how he imagined: dressed in white, with a look that sent chills down his spine.

"I didn't pick white just because it was White Day."

"Hm?" She continued to nibble on the White Day marshmallows.

Ichigo smiled slightly, feeling his heart pound wildly in his chest. "I think white really suits you."

_And your heart..._

Even though Rukia's mouth was hidden behind the scarf, he could tell by her eyes and high cheekbones that she was smiling.

_Is pure, elegant..._

Ichigo, still holding the end of the scarf, suddenly whipped it over her face, blocking her vision.

"O-Oi! Ichigo!" Rukia stammered in surprise.

_Bright._

Ichigo laughed at her before she adjusted the scarf and landed a quick punch on his stomach. He doubled over, losing his balance, and before falling, grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with him. They both landed on the floor, with the scarf sprawled over both their faces. Ichigo tried to get up but found the scarf restraining him from his position and the other end being wrapped around Rukia. Perhaps dinner could wait. He fell back down beside her to rest for a bit.

_Beautiful._

They both stayed silent until Rukia lifted her other hand to reveal the marshmallow stick, and finished it while saying with a full mouth, "Chubby bunny."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Oh? Why not chubby Chappy?"

"Mm! That's right!"

Ichigo stifled a chuckle, before Rukia began to laugh along with him.

_Mine._

* * *

**A/N: One day late! I'm so sorry! I wanted to post this on White Day but had no time... Oh well. Better late than never. This is for the readers that wanted a continuation. I hope you liked it! ^_^ I just _had_ to put Chappy in there somewhere.**

**Is it weird that I was listening to "Glow" by the voice actors of IchiRuki while writing this? Ah, I'm so desperate... XP**

**Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


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